Officers end three little pigs' life on run

IT'S the tale of three little pigs, and it has kept Darwin enthralled.

Last Wednesday, police in the Northern Territory warned motorists ''wild boars'' were causing a nuisance along one of Darwin's busiest roads.

Apparently the animals were near a McDonald's and creating a traffic hazard. People took to Facebook to say they had seen them wandering around town for weeks, and the pigs - actually piglets - became mini-celebrities.

Some investigating tracked down their home, which wasn't made from bricks, sticks or straw - they had escaped from the Minmarama indigenous community.

As the pigs' notoriety grew, police, much to their embarrassment, repeatedly tried to apprehend them without success.

Some suggested drugging their food supply, while others favoured employing crossbows or hunting dogs as a way of eradicating them before they grew into dangerous boars.

The animals consistently gave police the slip,despite reports from residents who had sighted them racing around a golf course and along roads. Some said the little guys had come forward for a pat before scurrying off.

''Pig chasing was not a topic taught at the police college, as it became obvious this afternoon,'' Senior Sergeant Garry Smith said at the height of the chase. But for two of the pigs, life on the run ended at the weekend when officers cornered them in a safe area and opened fire. The survivor's owner, Davina Kenyon, told the NT News he may be sent to exile in nearby Humpty Doo.